The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos
State Police Command has discovered fake embassy operating in Lagos where many
innocent members of the public had been swindled.
The Policemen attached to the squad swooped on them; two Chinese
and two Nigerians were apprehended during the raid on their office situated
inside an hotel, Golden Point and Suite, on Duduyemi Street in Ejigbo.
The Chinese: Liu Honyang, 47, Sun Xinai, 49; and their Nigerian
collaborators, Oriyomi Olawale, 47 and Desmond Chinedu, 25, conspired and
swindled Nigerians who had planned to travel out of the country to seek
greener pastures.
It was gathered that the operatives acted on the
intelligence reports received from members of the public about the illicit act
of these Chinese using Nigeria citizens as cover.
Our sources revealed that the Policemen lodged in the hotel for
two days monitoring their activities before eventual arrest.
After the arrest, some of their victims showed up at the RRS’s
Headquarters, recounting how they were duped respectively, hence their
deportation from Trinidad and Tobago.
According to one of the victims, Adekunle Adefuye, “I
met these people (suspects) through one of their agents, Dorcas Slyver. She is
a daughter to my brother’s pastor in Abeokuta. I told her my intentions and
zeal to travel to United States of America…. After a while, she told me to come
to Lagos that she can procure the American visa for me…. On getting to Lagos,
she took me to these Chinese where I was told that I should go to Trinidad and
Tobago…. They persuaded me to go Trinidad and Tobago that it was easier to
secure employment with at least 3,000 dollars as salary.”
He continued; “initially, I declined to take their bait, insisting
that I preferred America to Trinidad and Tobago (T&T)…. But in the long
run, they brainwashed me into agreeing to go to Trinidad and Tobago. It was at
this point, I was told that I would pay N1.3 million for the whole process
including visa processing and flight fare…. The payment was made in installment.
N376,000 for Visa, ticket N850,000, accommodation N39,000 and Visa Fee N33,000,
which I obliged and paid all the monies into Dorcas’ GTB Accounts: 0130671906.”
He revealed that he and another person were rounded up immediately
they got to Trinidad and Tobago by the country’s immigration officers for
coming into the country with fake visas.
"We spent two days underground inside the Police custody.
They treated us like criminals trying to enter the country illegally," he
added.
"We left Lagos enroute Lome on October 19th, 2016.
From Lome to Sao Paulo in Brazil. From there, we moved to Panama where we
boarded another plane to Trinidad and Tobago…. On getting to the country, we
were arrested by their security operatives accusing us of entering their country
with fake visa and documents…. We were locked up for 48 hours before we were
deported on October 22nd, 2016 and arrived Nigeria the following day,” he
added.
Adefuye stressed, “When we arrived Nigeria, we didn’t let them
know we have been deported. They thought possibly we were lucky to have entered
the T&T without any challenge.
It was one Good Samaritan that came to our rescue in Trinidad and
Tobago, who pleaded for us when they threatened to prosecute us before we were
sent back to Nigeria.
On his part, Rasheed Ololade, said that it was same agent, Dorcas
Sylver, who persuaded him to go to T&T too, adding that all the money he
paid amounted to N1.3M into her account.
“I met Adefuye at their office in Golden Point Hotel and Suites,
Ejigbo in Lagos. And we became good friends henceforth…. We were only fortunate
to have escaped being jailed in T&T for coming into the country with fake
documents and Visas…. They beat hell out of us and starved us for the whole two
days before fortune smiled at us. The Police in T and T collected all our
belongings including money and threatened to kill us. In fact, they were
abusing Nigerians calling us unprinted names…. In fact, we were lucky to have
been deported because that country is a junkyard for drug addicts and dealers,”
he lamented.
“Most of the Nigerians we met there were barely
recognisable, and were high on drugs…. One of them, confided in me that he was
struggling to survive by dealing in drug and that he has resorted to fate,
since coming home was difficult," he added.
Another victim, Friday Owah, who was at their office when they
were arrested, said that he just paid N600,000 after being convinced to
jettison his Europe trip for Trinindad & Tobago.
According to him, “I was introduced to them by one man, Mr Oscar.
I paid directly to Madam Sun’s GT Bank account…. She promised to secure the
visa for me within a space of two weeks. By the time the visa was ready, I was
unable to eke-out another N850,000 for flight ticket, which made the T&T
visa to get expired…. I went back to see her to help me again for same visa.
And she told me to pay another N150, 000. It was after I had made another
payment of N150,000 to her account that someone told me they don’t accept stamp
visa but only electronic visa is allowed in that country.”
“I went back to explain to her but she denied the information but
still insisted that stamp visa is acceptable in that country…. Then, I told her
that I was no longer interested in T&T and she should return my money. I
came to their office that fateful day to demand for the money when the Rapid
Response Squad team came to arrest them,” he added.
Another victim, Lukmon Odeyemi, a footballer by profession, also
parted away with N125, 000 for Trinidad and Tobago’s en route visa.
“The lady (Sun Xinai) charged me N400, 000 but I was only able to
raise N125,000 to her with the hope of balancing her by month end,” he noted.
In his reaction, Liu Hongyag, one of the arrested suspects, said
that he only helped her boss to do paper works and documents.
"We operated as separate entity as travel agency under
the company's name, Golden Point Hotel and Tour but our office is located
inside the hotel…. Sun Xinai is my sister, and she is the director
of the travel agency. I only do paper works and documents for visa
procurement…. I don’t know how she secures visa for people. All what I know is
that she travels to Abuja and comes back with that stamped visa. I am a phone
repairer,” he stressed.
Our source posited that investigation has further revealed that
the Trinidad and Tobago’s Embassy has confirmed the Visa fake and the two
Chinese agents unknown.
But Sun Xinai, the major suspect, noted that she was unaware that
stamped visa for Trindad and Tobago was no longer tenable in that country
anymore.
Responding to RRS's visa enquiry, the High Commission of the
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in its letter dated 7th December, 2016,
referenced ABJ: 6/2/3/14, read in part:
"...the Mission can categorically confirm that the individual
SUN XINAI who is claiming to be an agent of this Mission is unknown to us….
Furthermore, this Mission does not use the services of an 'agent' in any
capacity whatsoever and has never done so in the past either…. With regard to
the authenticity of the attached visas, the Mission can also categorically
confirm that those visas were not issued at this High Commission and are
clearly fraudulent…. Noteworthy too is the fact that in June 2015, this Mission
stopped the practice of issuing stamped visas in passports in favour of individual
electronic visas issued from our country's capital Port of Spain.”
The letter was signed by Garth Lamsee, Acting High Commissioner
Items recovered from them during the raid were 25 international
passports, 10 laptops, screw driver, 5 phones and paper documents.
While confirming the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer
of Lagos State, Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, said that Police
will not rest on its oars in protecting rights of any individual in the
country. She said that the Police are on manhunt for all their agents and
canvassers.
"I will also use this medium to advise the public to be wary
of visa agents and anyone who wishes to travel out of the country should direct
their applications to the Embassies," she added.
All the suspects have since been transferred to the State Criminal
Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
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